How did you find CoE?
I was searching for a place where other aficianados of Jackson’s films and Tolkien’s books were gathering. I browsed the Internet and landed here…a very lucky break.

What are your duties here at CoE?
I am one of the moderators of the RP forum, along with three other dedicated volunteers.

What are you favorite areas of the site?
Well, needless to say, the RP forum would have to come first. But I have also enjoyed many happy hours in the Elvish 101 forum, studying Quenya, and the Many Meetings forum, following the wanderings of Elrond.

How often do you visit CoE?
Every day (on business of moderating) and usually another time during the day to keep up with my own posts.

How many times have you read the books?
Which ones? *grins* I’ve read the LOTR at least once a decade since they were published. Since the films, however, I’ve re-read not only the trilogy and The Hobbit, but also The Silmarillion. And now I have collected the 12 volumes of HOME which I am perusing as time permits.

Who is your favorite LoTR character?
Gandalf…in both the book and the film (I can no longer think of Gandalf without the image of Ian McKellen’s portrayal).

Do you have a favorite scene from the Trilogy?
Book or film? In the book, I think it was Galadriel’s farewell. In the film, believe it or not, I have to admit it here and now…I loved the arrival of the elves at Helm’s Deep. It was not what Tolkien ever wrote but somehow I’ve felt since seeing it that it was something he SHOULD have written. *smiles*

What character left out of the films do you miss most?
Tom Bombadil & Goldberry.

Do you know any Sindarin or Quenya?
Yes, and some Telerin as well. I love the sound and feel on the tongue of Sindarin, but Quenya has a much greater corpus to work with.

What did you enjoy most about the ROTK EE?
Surprisingly enough, one of my favorite additions was the brief meeting between Faramir and Pippin where they discussed Pippin’s uniform. And I also loved the added scenes of the Healing Houses, even Liv Tyler’s song.

How did you find CoE?
In a tiring and exhaustive search, I tell ya’! I was feeling a bit like Frodo at Mt. Doom when I finally came across CoE. I lurked around for a few days soaking up the atmosphere and decided this was definitely the place to feed my addiction.

What are you favorite areas of the site?
Besides my Realm – Ulmo, Elrond’s Lbrary, specifically the Encyclopedia and Middle-earth sections,and the Last Homely Huse for the recipes.

How often do you visit CoE?
I pop in and out all day and a good while in the evening. Shhhhhh…say nothing to my partner at work!

How many times have you read the books?
From back to front – 5 times at last count. But I am always refering back to certain sections in both the Trilogy and The Silmarillion.

Who is your favorite LoTR character?
Lord Elrond – no question. Though Gamling does have a special place in my heart as well.

Do you have a favorite scene from the Trilogy?
The battle of Pelennor Fields. I still get goosebumps and a bit wet-eyed.

What character left out of the films do you miss most?
A toss up, either Farmer Maggot or Goldberry.

Do you know any Sindarin or Quenya?
Very little,I’m ashamed to say.

What did you enjoy most about the ROTK EE?
The very short scene in the ‘Houses of Healing’ between Faramir and Eowyn, it added so much to the context.

Farmer Maggot in the movie consists mainly of a corn field above the rim of which a scythe is wielded quite threateningly.

We first see him in his front garden, being interrogated by the Ringwraith looking for ‘Shiiiiiiiiiiire Baaaaaagginsssssss’. Even his infamous dogs have small cameo roles, as the one barking dog who leaves with his tail between his legs as soon as the Ringwraith throws his most eerie look at him.

His cameo continues into the scene where Frodo and Sam encounter Merry and Pippin, running, with their arms full of cabbages and carrots. They confess that these items were stolen from Farmer Maggot’s crops, and soon after the four hobbits are being chased about by the angry farmer.

After the hobbits fall off the side of the hill, the farmer disappears into the mists of the Cameo Swamp.

by Figwit, additional information by Oddwen

Farmer Maggot was a Hobbit with a farm, Bamfurlong, situated in the boggy region of the Marish in the eastern Shire. He lived with his wife, children and three wolf-like dogs (Fang, Grip and Wolf) in a farmhouse above the ground rather than in a traditional hobbit hole. The house was large, thatched, and made of brick; and it was surrounded, along with the farm’s buildings, by a wall with a wooden gate.

His farm was well-known for its mushrooms – not least among young hobbits like Frodo, who used to steal the tasty mushrooms from the fields when they were children. But even though Farmer Maggot threatened to set his dogs on Frodo if he ever saw the young hobbit again, when Frodo met Farmer Maggot again on September 25, 3018, as he passed through the farmer’s fields on the way to Crickhollow, the farmer welcomed Frodo into his home. Earlier that day, one of the Nazgûl had offered Farmer Maggot gold in exchange for news of Frodo, but Farmer Maggot sent him on his way. He promised Frodo that he would deal with the Nazgûl if they returned, and after supper, he took Frodo and his companions to the Bucklebury Ferry after giving them a box of mushrooms for the journey.

But Farmer Maggot was more than he initially seemed. He was wise and knowledgable, and had ventured into the Old Forest on occasions, and met with Tom Bombadil.

“There’s earth under his old feet, and clay on his fingers; wisdom in his bones, and both his eyes are open,” said Tom.” (FotR)

by atalante_star

It can often be awkward joining a new group of people. If you don’t know anyone in that group already, it can even be a little scary. In the Realm of Nessa, we try to alleviate those fears and awkward moments. To do this, not only do we accept newbies into our fold, and treat them as if they’ve been a member all along, we also give them a much coveted llama plushie. Morlothwen, our current Realm Head, was the one who began this marvelous tradition, thus earning the title “Giver of the Plushies”.

“I have been asked once or twice as to how I came about creating the llama souvenir. My answer to that is rather simple and one could say obvious. The Nessians! Many of the Realm members had been giving out little presents to the newbies and I thought why not make a tradition out of it? Since the llama was already a huge part of our community I turned it into something that was fun but simple, a llama souvenir! It was both a welcoming gift and somewhat of a warning so they would not be unprepared for the silliness and fun we enjoy in the Realm of Nessa! (Morlothwen)

And how do our new members feel about receiving a plush llama toy?

“I joined before we started giving out the llama plushies! I think it would have been like a token of acceptance into this wild and wonderful realm. I had already heard vague rumors of llamas from pippinsscarf and kingurl in the games forum and I think if I had been handed a llama plushie I would have felt like I had been let into some awesome inside joke type of thing. ” (Rodwen)

“I joined the realm of Nessa at a time when things were a bit slow because a realm head had just left and was in the process of being replaced. However, this didn’t mean I was welcomed any less! Within days Morlothwen was there to hand me my llama welcome plushie, and I instantly knew that Nessa would be a fun, happy place for me.

Gift giving is something very special. After all, Hobbits delight in giving presents on every occasion, Galadriel gladly bestowed each member of the Fellowship with an Elvish gift, and Arwen gave to Frodo a beautiful jewel as a sort of token in honor of his quest.This all fits the joyful, loving personality of Nessa perfectly and is why we welcome all newbies to the realm with a uniquely made llama plushie.” (Fealome)

So there you have it. Receiving a llama plushie is not only a sign of reassurance for us, but also one of acceptance. You don’t have to earn your plushie, you just simply have to show up and share in our silliness. I personally did not recieve a plushie, for the same reason as Rodwen. I did, however, coerce Morlothwen into giving me one once she started giving them out, and I now refuse to let my plushie, Harold, out of my sight! In fact, if you’ll excuse me, I think Harold and I will go take a walk now, I have to make sure my plushie gets enough exercise.

by vanyar and Morlothwen

It is no secret that the Realm of Nessa has certain affections towards llamas. We are not sure why, we are not sure how, we just know that we are semi-obsessed with those cute furry animals. As a fun, and perhaps scary, idea for a Council Courier article, I posed a question to fellow Realm members: “What if Middle-earth were ruled by llamas”? By reading the following, you will see just how delusional we are about the greatness of our favorite four-legged mammal, and you will get an interesting look into the operations of some of our members’ minds.

“If llamas ran Middle-earth, there would be no “Dark Lord”. Everyone would be having too much fun frolicking to be concerned with greed and ambition. The Dwarves and Elves would be best of friends, and everyone would know about Hobbits, as they’re quite the little frolickers! Mordor would have some of the loveliest green fields, and have perfect frolicking weather everyday of the year! And if anyone decided they wanted to climb over Caradhras, they’d have some of the finest knit Alpaca sweaters to keep them warm and toasty!!!” (Vanyar)

“If llamas ruled Middle-earth, poor Sam would never have had to carry Frodo up Mount Doom. A sure-footed llama would have been leading the way! The Dunedain rangers would have an easy time tracking friendly llamas footprints, and Middle-earth would be a much safer place. Relations with Harad would be agreeable to everyone, because llamas and desert camels are distant relations. And so, the Haradrim would never have agreed to support Sauron on his war campaign.

On the other hand, our lovely llamas would be far too busy frolicking to notice Sauron’s deceit and evil power. In short, disaster would occur, and a lot of llamas might end up getting hurt. That is why the best place for llamas is in the realm of Nessa, where each and every realmer loves their llamas unendingly. Our frolicking and fun are forever!” (Anonymous realmer with a big smile)

“If Middle-earth were ruled by llamas, the Riddermark would be replaced by Llama-Land, and instead of Rohirrim there would be Llamirrim. There would be no “barren wastelands, riddled with fire and ash,” because llamas MUST have nice soft grass in order to be able to frolic properly. Every town in Middle-earth would have an LFF office where concerned citizens could report any feeble attempts at llama oppression, and any who offended in this area would be dealt with promptly and severely by the hands of justice.” (Rodwen)

“If llamas were to rule Middle-earth…The villains we have come to know and even love would turn a few new leaves. I guess you could say for the better. Sauron also known as The Eye of Sauron would run an eye center for all those Elves, Hobbits and Dwarves in need of glasses or contacts. The Mouth of Sauron would become the first much needed dentist in Middle-earth, although not many would trust him with their teeth. The Ringwraiths would have jewel shops set up in all nine corners of Middle-earth and rumor would have it that Gollum works for them as a door to door salesman. In addition to this, Mordor would be turned into an area where llamas could frolic freely all day long without any trouble…And most importantly, a few pop tarts would be thrown in and randomness would rule supreme!” (Morlothwen)

So there you have it. If Middle-earth were ran by llamas, the world would be a much better and more frolic oriented place. The only way Middle-earth could possibly get better was if it had everlasting pop-tarts, and maybe a lifetime supply of milk. Man, that would be the life…

by vanyar

Unless you have been living under a rock for the last several years, you have probably heard of “The Lord of the Rings”. There are, however, many people who have not heard of either the movie or the book. These “rock dwellers” will often look at LotR fans as if we have three heads when we begin some tale that ties into LotR. In order to properly explain Lord of the Rings without getting odd looks, we have created this simple-to-use guide on what to say.

Many rock dwellers have the attention span of a three-year-old. They do not seem to understand just how important ‘The Lord of the Rings’ is to literature and the world. Some of the worst of these are Star Wars or Harry Potter fans. These misguided people will often refer to LotR as ‘too long’ or ‘boring’ or even ‘past its time’. Such people need to be corrected immediately; unfortunately this can be extremely difficult. In order to properly explain this epic trilogy to that non-attentive percentage, one must make the explanation as short and entertaining as possible. For example:

“Well… there’s these little guys with hairy feet, a wizard, a dwarf, an elf, and a couple of regular ol’ humans… and they’ve got to save the world from this huge evil eye by destroying an evil ring.”

or,

“Right, so there’s this magical ring, that can destroy the world, and a rag-tag team have to chuck the ring into a volcano, that just happens to be in the middle of their arch-enemy’s territory.”

Occasionally you will come across a “rock-dweller” who has no understanding of anything that might be mentioned in LotR. With such people the conversion can be a long and laborious process. At first, some substitution is needed. For example, when talking to a school student:

‘Now there was this short dude who had lots of big bucks. He got this ring that can do all sorts of cool bad stuff from another dude, and wants to stop this other dude from getting it. He would rather destroy it than let the other other dude have it. So he gets some help from eight other dudes and they go off to destroy it. Oh yeah, there are also lots of flesh-eating badguys, some ghosts, a few madmen, some dudes than can ride horses really well…And a heap of battles!’

Thankfully, such people are rare. And if you can hook them on something like the above, you will be able to start feeding them solid food like names, places, etc. soon after.

However, the major demographic of “rock dwellers” are only marginally interested in what you have to say. Therefore, you can be a bit more elaborate, but it’s still best to keep it short. Like this:

“Okay, there are four hobbits, two humans, an elf, a dwarf, and a wizard who form a fellowship to travel over the land and destroy “The One Ring”. Along the way, the wizard falls into shadow after battling a fiery shadow creature called a “Balrog”, one of the humans gets slain by orcs (an explanation of what an ‘orc’ is may well be needed here), two of the hobbits get “hobbit-napped” by said orcs, the remaining hobbits start off to destroy the ring on their own, and the other human, the dwarf, and the elf track down the orcs to get their hobbits back.”

Every now and then, you will come across a rock dweller who is actually very interested in finding out about Lord of the Rings. With these fine specimens, you can be as elaborate as you want. They’ll eat up every sub-plot you mention, for instance:

“Okay, so there’s this hobbit, named Frodo, who inherits a ring from his uncle. This wizard, Gandalf, discovers it’s “the one” ring that can destroy their world… so Frodo has to destroy the ring. Frodo and his servant Sam travel towards a town called Bree, meet up with Frodo’s cousins Pippin and Merry, and they all travel together. In Bree they meet up with this scary Ranger guy, called Strider, who joins them. They travel to this place called Weathertop, these strange wraith guys that have been chasing them catch up to them and stab Frodo in the shoulder. Strider takes them to Rivendell so Frodo can get medical attention. In Rivendell, they meet up with a dwarf named Gimli, an elf named Legolas, Gandalf, and a man named Boromir. The ruler type elf of Rivendell, Elrond, puts them all into a fellowship to travel to the land of the Dark Lord, Sauron, to destroy the ring.”

If you are lucky, after using this guide you will no longer have to endure odd looks from the un-enlightened, and may have even converted a few “rock dwellers” to read “The Lord of the Rings” and possibly get themselves a nice house. For those who do not understand, take pity on them in their ignorance.

by vanyar, the_australian_elf

In life, everyone has Mount Dooms to climb, quests to achieve, and every person needs something that will get them to the top of their mountain. For Frodo, that “something” was Sam, who found strength in his loyalty and love for his master. In the Realm of Nessa, we have a motto, “dance like nobody’s looking”. While our motto doesn’t always get us to the top of our mountains, it is a positive reinforcement of the joy Nessa stands for and the carefree spirit we all strive to uphold.

“We came to get this motto in a very democratic way. We informed members that we were going to have a realm motto, and they soon began to think of phrases that fit our realm. We managed to narrow down the list of possible mottos to around five, then created a poll. “Dance like nobody’s looking” was the clear winner. I think it was the best choice for us. We do seem to boogie down quite frequently.” (Vanyar)

Nessa delighted in dancing and running. We dance like nobody’s looking! The Realm of Nessa is a wonderful place to be yourself, dancing to the best of your ability, with a close-knit group of friends laughing along with you. It’s the support and good cheer we all need in order to make it to the tops of our mountains. So to all Nessians, and to all those who share Nessa’s joyful spirit, remember: “Dance like nobody’s looking!”

by Fealome and vanyar

“The human mind is capable of forming mental images of things not actually present. The faculty of conceiving the images is (or was) naturally called Imagination.” ~JRR Tolkien, “On Fairy Stories”

With strongly stated opinions and a wealth of insight, Tolkien’s essay “On Fairy Stories” addresses the benefits of fantasy and imaginative thinking. To the Tolkien fan, it also reveals much about the author himself, his ideals, and the way “fairy stories” must have inspired him to write The Lord of the Rings. Within the essay he addresses a variety of subjects, asking such questions as, “What are fairy stories?”, “What is their origin?”, or “What is the use of them?”

A major theme Tolkien emphasizes in “On Fairy Stories” is that art itself is an essential building block of true Fantasy. Without it, a fairy story lacks the beauty and imagination it was meant to have in the first place. Tolkien mourned the fact that so many fairy stories are adapted for children, or brought down in value from other forms of literature. “First of all: if written with art, the prime value of fairy stories will simply be that value which, as literature, they share with other literary forms.” He also talks about the different types of stories that have often been called “fairy”, making it clear which ones he considers “true” fairy stories and why.

A better title for Tolkien’s essay might have been “In Defense of Fairy-Stories”. He recommends reading fantasy not only for enjoyment, but for “Recovery and Consolation”. In fact, he calls this aspect of fantasy a way of “regaining a clear view” and “seeing things as we are (or were) meant to see them”. Fairy-stories mirror our own world in such a way that reveals it to us in a whole new light; the “natural” things found in Fantasy can help us, by their very enchantment, to gain a clearer view of the world we live in. As C.S. Lewis once stated, “He does not despise real woods because he has read of enchanted woods: the reading makes all real woods a little enchanted.”

“On Fairy Stories” ends on a very joyful note. Using his own word “eucatastrophe” to describe the “good catastrophe, (or) the sudden joyous ‘turn'”, Tolkien explains the importance of the happy ending. The true mark of a fairy story, he claims, is this Joy that comes of the eucatastrophe.

Reading “On Fairy Stories” helped me to understand what fairy-stories (and Fantasy in general, for that matter) really are. I often wondered why Fantasy appeals so much to people who have a taste for it. Why do we find The Lord of the Rings so fascinating? Imagination is certainly the key, but does it go deeper than that? Tolkien says yes, “the magic of Faërie is not an end in itself, its virtue is in its operations: among these are the satisfaction of certain primordial human desires.” The full extent of the essay, however, can only be discovered by the reader. Through sharing his insight in “On Fairy Stories”, Tolkien helped to spread the gifts of Imagination, Art, and Fantasy to future generations.

by Fealome